


A Study In Eternity

by Pokerel



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Chapter Lengths Vary, Gen, will tag when i am not half dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-06-06 19:20:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15201683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokerel/pseuds/Pokerel
Summary: A collection of short stories spanning various AUs.(Formerly titled: In Which Everything And Nothing Happens)





	1. One Step Forward, One Step Back [StorySpin]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Storyspin in a nutshell](https://78.media.tumblr.com/843c41f8fc57f8a50150c13d55b0ab25/tumblr_oxv6soeWCE1vpdl4no5_r1_1280.png) (Art by keitou-tztt on Tumblr)

It was somewhere between the fiftieth and the fifty-third round that you decided to show up.

You tried to convince yourself that it was just your laziness, though truth be told, you really did not feel like talking to whatever had felled most of the Underground.

But a line you didn't know existed had been crossed.

You regarded the demon before you.

Its smile was all wrong. A crooked, jagged grin, stretched too wide like a taut rubber band across that young face. Humans were terrifying, and this wasn't aided by the fresh blood soaking into the front of that striped shirt. The annoying dog never stood a chance, cut down in a matter of moments.

"I kept wondering if you would come," it stated in an excited tone, each word dripping with faux-sweetness.

You grit your teeth, and stepped forward.

You had stood by far too many times, as this demon of a child killed everything in the Underground. Only for the cycle to repeat, as if the genocide never happened.

Another step.

The repetitive resets numbed your soul to their loss.

Besides, what could you do? A monster was no match for a human, and the ever-increasing death toll was solid proof of this fact.

Another.

At your lack of response, it only giggled, a disturbing expression of an unhinged mind.

"don't you know how to greet an old friend?"

The laughter cut short. It was leaning forward now, eyeing you hungrily.

"put 'er there, pal."

They took the offered hand, and immediately you channeled what little strength you had in this form into an attack.

It cried out, tugging on its hand, but you refused to let go. Instead, you pushed harder, causing your eye to light up from this exertion.

After several moments the thrashing stopped.

You let go of the hand, watching its owner collapse to the floor, breathing hard.

Served it right.

You crouched down next to its head. It turned, coughing out a dark liquid. That was now staining your sneakers. Ick.

"listen, buddy. why don't you rewind, and pretend all this never happened. play nice instead. then maybe i'll give you a chance."

"Fuck off!"

EXP may not cross timelines, but LOVE definitely did, and with each round its bloodthirst increased. There would be no convincing.

You grabbed a handful of hair and smashed its face into the floor of the void.

"t h a t w a s n ' t a s u g g e s t i o n ."

* * *

You didn't think this would work, but the barrier was broken now, and you could feel the sunlight.

You saw the fingers reaching for the knife, the one that was never stained by dust. Even now, it had to fight you every step of the way? You easily squished that bit of resistance. It wouldn't do to have the happy ending ruined, not now that monsters had reached the surface.

Papyrus had hung around, looking the same as he had all these years ago (except for the ears, that was new) before the Incident. As you watched, Undyne caught him off guard with a surprise glomp-tackle. After a few long moments he returned the hug with equal vigour, and from where you were you could see that fluffy tail wagging.

He looked up, just in time to catch your gaze. He immediately started flailing out of Undyne's death grip, which only prompted the queen to squeeze him tighter.

Oh, would you just look at the time. You made like a tree and got out, powerwalking back towards the castle, ignoring Papyrus' sputtering.

The other monsters gathered at the barrier's site looked at you, concerned, but you waved them away. You just needed a bit of alone time right about now. It wasn't like the monsters would leave without their hero, right...?

* * *

You weren't sure how you made the trek all the way to the old ruins, but you found yourself standing below the familiar architecture. Everything had changed, yet much remained the same.

There was a flower patch in front of you, yellow and blue flowers mixed together. They were soft to the touch, and you decided to lie down. You could have fallen asleep, were it not for the determination of the human soul, burning in your chest, demanding you keep moving.

"Howdy."

You hadn't noticed Asgore, and were caught off guard, jumping a good distance before your mind caught up.

"Oh, I apologise! I must have startled you."

He did, though you did not confirm it. Instead, you shoved down this body's instinctive urge to stab him in the leg. It probably hadn't got the memo that you were in the driver's seat now, and that you were the exact opposite of murder-happy.

"to patella the truth, i'm a little bone-tired. had to lie down for a bit. you're welcome to join me."

Asgore chuckled, with the polite nervousness of someone who did not get the joke. And he wouldn't. You kicked yourself mentally. Somehow, you had managed to make yourself look like an ass twice in not as many minutes. More like in twelve seconds.

Your awkward ass was saved by a white blur, as a certain white dog knocked you over and seated himself squarely in your lap. You scratched Papyrus' head, enjoying the ticklish sensation of the fur between your fingers.

"Toby seems to like you."

"he likes everyone," you stated with confidence, "and everyone likes him."

This got a true laugh out of Asgore, a deep rumbling sound. It was nice.

You three sat there in a comfortable silence. Until Asgore ruined it by asking the one question you would rather not answer.

"What do you know about resets?" he asked, his tone curious. It wasn't accusatory, but the wrong answer could prove fatal.

You froze, your back feeling like someone had poured water down it, straight from Snowdin. You very much preferred staying alive, but there was no good way to guarantee that.

"I understand if that is a difficult-" and you coughed, waving your hands.

"it's a long story. but i could tell you. if you goat the time, that is."

The puffball in your lap barked disapprovingly.

"Puns are more Toriel's forte."

And you told him, how you watched helplessly as the human reset over and over, how you prevented another genocide through your powers of intimidation, and how you were going to stop the resets. You left out the part where you took over only right at the end.

Asgore listened attentively throughout, his face darkening as you described the demon. And when you stopped, he sighed.

"I was just fearful that all this," and he gestured with one massive paw, "would be undone. This 'demon' you spoke of could send the kingdom back to square one, with everyone being none the wiser."

"yup." Wow. You were very eloquent.

"Thank you."

"...eh?"

Your hand stopped, for the second time, resulting in an unhappy whine.

"It must have been difficult, having lost everything you cared for. I can see it. But you found the strength to act, and for that, I am grateful."

You had no idea how to respond to that, beyond an 'uuuuuuuhh ok?'

"After all, love is a stronger force than LOVE."

Nope, nope, you could deal with a murderkid but not all this weird mushy stuff. This was verging on TMI, and you wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible.

"there's one other thing."

Asgore stared at you. Oops. You had conveniently forgotten that said one other thing was something you didn't want to talk about.

"Is there something you need to talk about?"

NOPE. NUH-UH.

You scrambled around to find a valid response to that, to come up with something, anything.

And you did.

And you regretted it so much.

"ewe look really hot today. totally on fire."

Because FIREBALLS.

"Oh. Well. Golly. I better get going." And Asgore was off. Great. Now you managed to freak him out.

"shut up!" you hissed at the traitor in your lap.

"I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING."

You buried your face in your hands.

"I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WILL SUPPORT YOU REGARDLESS OF YOUR CHOICES."

Please, make the embarrassment go away!

Papyrus gently patted the side of your face with a paw, which was even worse.

Wait. If Papyrus was here then...

"do they know yet?" 'They', meaning Undyne and Alphys. If Papyrus had told them about the truth, that could spell disaster. You were worried about how they'd react. It'd been far too long, and with what you'd done... Papyrus stilled, the silence becoming guilty.

"they know."

Papyrus was quiet, and this only confirmed your worst fears.

"i have to go."

Before they could come by, looking for you. Demanding answers you couldn't give to questions you didn't want to hear.

You tried in vain to eject Papyrus from your lap.

And tried again.

"oh my god, what have you been eating??"

"TORIEL'S PIE!" he chirps, and you can feel the smugness radiating off him.

You let the round and apparently WAY TOO FAT FOR HIS OWN GOOD dog drop in your lap, and you swore you could hear your legbones creak, even through the weird fleshy padding.

"how did you know it was me, anyway?" you muttered into the fur.

"I'D KNOW THAT SMILE ANYWHERE."

Papyrus was gazing up at you fondly, and you felt your smile become a lot more genuine.

"i missed you too, you goober."

"..."

"does that mean i can call you pupyrus?"

His outraged bark couldn't quite drown out your laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deleted bit of dialogue:
> 
> "i'm not a kid." You looked up at Asgore, before bringing up your hands to form the shape of two horns over your head. "kinda lacking in the headgear department."
> 
> Asgore considered you for a long moment, before deciding that yes, that had been a joke.


	2. Busted! [Reapertale]

"Are you seeing this, Sans?"

Sans, or Death as most knew him, turned to his brother, Papyrus, also Death (this would have been confusing, but very few gods were willing to interact with the brothers more than necessary, and as a result, whenever their name was mentioned, either it was clear which one was being referred to, or it didn't matter).

Papyrus gestured out at the hall of cultists. They had sprung up out of nowhere, led by a short and thin figure, whose conviction seemed frailer than his body.

"They worship us, of all the gods. Why?"

Sans patted his back. Papyrus was a tad self-conscious about his role, since both gods and mortals would want to avoid an avatar of death if they could.

But _why_ , though? He appreciated the sentiment, he really did, but this was far too strange for his liking.

The crowd was shifting impatiently now. Sans pushed forwards along a wall, the crowd slipping around him, like water around a ship. Papyrus continued to hover in the back, eyes on his brother.

The leader was joined by a taller figure, a woman with long brown hair and striking red eyes and a dark cloak like everyone else in the room (this place was so edgy Sans could probably sharpen his chain-scythe's blades on it). She stepped up to address the cultists.

"Brothers and sisters. Today is the day when we witness this truly momentous event."

She held her head and hands high, the crowd holding its collective breath in anticipation.

"Unlike the heretics who turned their back on our gods, you have been faithful. And you shall be rewarded accordingly.

"Now," and she produced a knife at this, turning it over in her hands, "With Death's blessing, you loyal followers will be rewarded. Now..."

"Did you really offer your blessing?" Papyrus called to Sans, voice stern and promising an hour-long lecture on _abuse of godly power_. Sans shook his head, sockets still trained on the priestess. Papyrus grabbed at his brother's sleeve, intent on getting his attention, and was shushed.

When Sans eventually looked around, Papyrus was glancing upwards worriedly. He followed his brother's gaze, only seeing the flower motif carved into the ceiling. That settled the question of who this temple had originally been for. It was hilarious, if slightly ironic.

_Did that vine just move? ___

____

____

The ceiling gave way with a loud creak, cracks forming along the thick and coiling vines as they tensed up. The gathered people started screaming, shoving and jostling at each other as they raced towards the exit, hammering on the door as it wouldn't budge. Through this, Sans was suddenly acutely aware of the leader and the priestess at the front. Both bore distinct magical signatures that _definitely meant bad news._

Chara dropped the hood, throwing their head back in deranged laughter. Beside her, Flowey also cast his cloth aside, and Sans could see the vines running along the floor and walls. Vines which if left unchecked could trap and kill every soul in this room.

Sans sighed, and raised a hand. He clenched it into a fist, and at once, his unique magic blanketed the area, pausing time in its tracks.

The culprits pouted.

"Spoilsport," Chara snarled, already shifting back to their true appearance, as Flowey stuck out his tongue. The knife flicked forward, embedding itself into the ground.

"Gig's up. What do you want from us?" Flowey's eyes burned, gaze defiant.

Tch. Both knew that Sans couldn't actually harm them, not after Frisk's efforts and that ~~halfassed~~ truce.

Though that didn't mean a thing, not with a certain goddess he knew. A goddess who would be equally unhappy about this entire ordeal.

Sans pulled the corner of his mouth up in a smirk, watching Flowey's and Chara's expressions morph from satisfaction to horror.

"I'm telling Tori."


	3. Cheesy Puns Ahoy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pok: okay  
> Pok: toss me dumb au ideas \ouo/  
> Bt Y: AU where everyone is made out of cheese  
> Pok: not that one  
> Zex: AU where everyone is self-aware  
> Pok: .....actually  
> Pok: actually you know what  
> Pok: sans would absolutely _love_ cheese au  
>  Pok: puns for days  
> Pok: .....though none of them are any _gouda_  
>  Pok: ~~god that was cheesy~~

"paps. paps. hey. psst."

"WHAT IS IT, SANS?" Papyrus stopped walking, letting his brother catch up.

"have you..." Sans glanced around. "have you noticed that everything is cheese?"

"WHAT AN ASTUTE OBSERVATION," the taller brother remarked dryly. Sans' intent hit him a moment later, and before he could protest, Sans had already gotten started.

"i can't _brie_ lieve nobody's really pointed it out." Before Papyrus could yell that _that's because everybody knows_ he continued, "that's a _gouda_ -pportunity wasted. i _raclette_ not making these jokes sooner. so i _feta_ crack more to make up for these."

Papyrus gave a yell of agitation, before storming away, though Sans tailed him closely, offering no escape.

"are the puns too _cheesy_? they _grating_ on your nerves?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen. i am not creative.


	4. There's Sad Goats In This One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somebody requested Asriel.

Asriel groaned and let his head drop on the headboard, his smaller twin (brother? clone? brother-clone? he was spending too much time with Papyrus) a warm and heavy weight on his lap. Like a cat, and like a cat, he was almost purring, a soft rumble in the quiet room.

"Are you done yet?" he asked tiredly.

The other shifted, looking up, one paw coming to mop away the tears matted in the fur of his cheeks, eyes tinted pink. The front of his own shirt was damp, tears staining the spot on the fabric darker. He might have to actually wash it eventually.

Ignoring the question, the other pressed closer, furred head burying in the crook of his neck, small (weak) arms looping around him in an embrace.

"I'm so glad you're here," he sniffled.

Asriel felt something knot in his throat and around his soul. (Lies. His soul hasn't existed for several loops now, there was nothing to prove that anything had changed this time around.) He raised an arm, dropping it in an awkward pat on smaller-him's back.

"Me too," he lied.


End file.
